Runaway Bay is full of fall spirit this season, and our local churches are hosting two fantastic events you won’t want to miss! These family-friendly gatherings are open to everyone and are a wonderful way to connect with neighbors and celebrate the season together. 🎃 The Bay Church Annual Fall Fest Sunday, October 26, 2025 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM The Bay Church | 20 Runaway Bay Drive The Bay Church is keeping tradition alive with their Annual Fall Fest! Bring the whole family out for a fun-filled afternoon packed with: Candy & Games Cake Walk Mechanical Bull Family Activities and more! This annual celebration is all about fellowship and creating memories with friends and neighbors. Whether you’re wrangling the mechanical bull or cheering on the little ones at the cake walk, it’s sure to be a great time in the heart of the Bay. 💡 Just Jesus Church: Light Up the Darkness Friday, October 31, 2025 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM Just Jesus Church | 513 Port-O-Call Drive Join Just Jesus Church for their 1st Annual “Light Up the Darkness” event - an evening filled with light and community fun! Expect tons of family entertainment, including: Full-sized candy bars & goody bags for kids Bounce house & obstacle course BBQ sandwiches, hotdogs, popcorn, cotton candy & baked goods Face painting, games, and even a fire truck! Glowstick-lit praise and worship to end the night on a joyful note This event is designed to be a faith-filled celebration for all ages and a glowing way to spend your Halloween evening right here in Runaway Bay. Bringing the Community Together Both events highlight the strong community spirit that makes Runaway Bay such a special place to call home. Whether you stop by one or both, these fall gatherings are a great reminder of the faith and fellowship found right here in our city.

If you’ve noticed ONCOR trucks or road crews working around town lately - especially along Doaks and Tryall - here’s the good news: it’s all part of a major power upgrade project for Runaway Bay. ONCOR Energy is investing over $5 million dollars in system improvements across our area to strengthen reliability, reduce outages, and prepare our infrastructure for future growth. What’s Happening: Crews are currently replacing transformers, installing new poles, and completing major vegetation management and tree trimming. These upgrades are designed to help protect power lines and reduce storm-related outages that can occur when branches or debris come into contact with the system. The Big Picture: This work is part of the City and ONCOR’s ongoing reliability initiative that began after severe winter freezes caused widespread power interruptions years ago. The upgrades also include the construction of a new Runaway Bay substation, which will provide more stable power delivery for homes and businesses throughout the city. Why It Matters: These upgrades aren’t just about keeping the lights on. They’ll help prevent outages, improve safety, and reduce liability risks during high winds or freezing weather. Additional Work Notes: ONCOR is also working with the City to ensure our water system infrastructure runs efficiently. Currently, only one pump is active, but the city requires two pumps of the same size for optimal performance. Crews are changing out transformers to deliver the correct voltage needed for this setup. At the Port O’Call and Tryall intersection (south side), a three-phase power upgrade is underway to support underground pumps and improve system reliability in that area. These efforts tie directly into the city’s larger goal of maintaining dependable, storm-ready utilities for all residents You may see ONCOR crews in the neighborhood over the next several months as work continues. Please use caution when driving near work zones and thank the crews for their hard work in keeping Runaway Bay powered and protected!

There’s nothing quite like a sunny day at Runaway Bay’s public beach, with soft sand, cool lake water, and one of the prettiest views on Lake Bridgeport. It’s the perfect spot to relax, swim, and make memories with friends and family. Before you grab your towel and sunscreen, here’s a quick reminder from the City of Runaway Bay to help keep our beach safe and enjoyable for everyone. Safety First — No Fishing in the Swim Area Fishing is strictly prohibited along the public beach. 🎣🚫 Fishing hooks and lines can easily tangle or injure swimmers’ feet, especially children playing in shallow water. For everyone’s safety, please cast your lines only from our designated fishing pier, built just down the shoreline for that very purpose. It’s a beautiful spot and a safe distance from swimmers. Beach Rules to Know Our Beach Rules are posted at the entrance and help keep this community space clean, safe, and family-friendly. Highlights include: No swimming beyond the buoy markers No watercraft launching in the swim area No alcoholic beverages or glass containers No pets on the beach No open fires or grills on the sand No vehicles beyond the posted area Hours: Sunrise to sunset Please don’t feed the geese — they’re cute, but it encourages overpopulation and messy conditions! And remember: No lifeguard is on duty. Please swim at your own risk and keep a close eye on little ones. Our Beach Pavilion Looking for shade? The city pavilion provides a covered picnic area with tables and nearby grills — perfect for a family lunch with a lake breeze. Please be kind and leave the area as you found it by picking up your trash before you go. A clean beach is a happy beach! Help Keep Runaway Bay Beautiful Our beach is a perfect gathering spot - a place where friend swim, kids build sand castles, families picnic, and sunsets never disappoint. By following the posted rules and sharing the space responsibly, you help protect this special corner of our community. Thank you for doing your part to keep Runaway Bay safe, clean, and welcoming to all! We’ll see you by the water! #RunawayBayTX #LivingInTheBay #BeachSafety #CommunityFirst #KnowTheRules #LakeBridgeport

When most folks think of Lake Bridgeport today, they picture fishing boats, jet skis, and peaceful evenings along the water. But during the 1940s, this same lake echoed with the rumble of aircraft engines and played a surprising role in World War II. Training for the Skies of War During World War II, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps used Lake Bridgeport as an auxiliary training area. Its wide-open waters and remote setting made it the perfect place for pilots to practice maneuvers away from populated areas. Young aviators stationed at nearby bases like Fort Worth and Grand Prairie, were brought here to learn advanced flying and combat tactics. Over the lake, they rehearsed: Low-altitude strafing runs Skip-bombing techniques used to target ships Glider landings and takeoffs on temporary runways along the shoreline The training was intense, and many of these pilots would later fly missions across the Pacific. Early Drone Testing Lake Bridgeport was also part of a remarkable - and little-known - chapter in aviation history. The military tested early radio-controlled aircraft here, part of the secretive Interstate TDR Assault Drone program. These unmanned planes carried explosives and could be guided by remote control, decades before the modern drone era. While the technology was ahead of its time, it laid the foundation for the precision systems we know today. An aerial view of Lake Bridgeport around 1949, showing the dam and early shoreline development. The Bay Before the Bay At that time, “Runaway Bay” didn’t exist yet. The land surrounding the southern part of the lake was mostly ranchland and scrub oak, visited only by fishermen, hunters, and a few families who lived along the backroads. Yet even then, the lake was already shaping the area’s identity. It was bringing in new visitors, fueling curiosity, and planting the seeds for what would one day become our community. A Legacy Beneath the Waves Next time you’re out on the water or crossing the bridge, imagine the roar of training aircraft overhead and remember that these peaceful waters once helped young Americans prepare to defend freedom. Our little corner of Wise County played a quiet but meaningful part in the story of World War II. A legacy that still ripples across Lake Bridgeport today. #ThrowbackThursday #BayHistory #RunawayBay #WWIIHistory #LakeBridgeport

How a River Became the Heart of Wise County Before the lake sparkled under the Texas sun, the West Fork of the Trinity River wound quietly through ranchland and cedar breaks. It was a wild stretch of country that flooded often and dried hard in drought. The story of Lake Bridgeport began with a dream to tame that unpredictable river and bring reliable water to a growing North Texas. A Vision for Water and Power In the 1920s, Dallas was booming. The city’s population had tripled since the turn of the century, and its water sources (the Trinity River and smaller reservoirs) couldn’t keep up. Engineers turned their attention upstream, to Wise and Jack Counties, where the river’s headwaters offered an ideal site for a dam. The West Fork Dam Project was authorized by the Trinity River Authority and spearheaded by the City of Dallas Water Utilities Department in cooperation with the Public Works Administration. Plans called for a massive concrete structure that would both store water and generate hydroelectric power. Construction Begins (1929–1931) Work started in 1929, right as the Great Depression began. Despite hard times, the dam’s construction brought hundreds of jobs to Wise County. Workers lived in makeshift camps along the riverbanks, and supplies arrived by rail and wagon from Bridgeport and Chico. Using a combination of local limestone and imported concrete, crews built what was then one of the largest dams in Texas - nearly 2,000 feet long and 200 feet wide at the base. The spillway gates and intake towers were cutting-edge for their day, designed to regulate both floodwaters and hydroelectric output. When the final gates closed in 1931, the valley slowly filled, swallowing farmland, trees, and even the remnants of old ranch houses. By 1932, the new Lake Bridgeport stretched over 13,000 acres, with more than 170 miles of shoreline. Lake Bridgeport 1939 Powering Progress Beyond water storage, the dam’s hydroelectric plant provided energy for local communities, which was a major milestone in rural electrification. For decades, its generators powered homes and farms around Bridgeport and Decatur before being retired in later modernization efforts. A New Way of Life With the river transformed, a new culture took root around the lake. Fishermen flocked to its coves for crappie and bass. Families built cabins along the water. And by the 1950s and ’60s, the area had become a beloved recreational haven - giving birth to developments like Runaway Bay, where lake living became a way of life. Legacy of the Lake Nearly a century later, Lake Bridgeport remains one of the most beautiful and essential bodies of water in North Texas, supplying drinking water, recreation, and a sense of community to thousands. What began as an engineering experiment in the 1930s is now the lifeblood of our region and the backdrop of our everyday lives here in Runaway Bay.

Protecting Our Community from Scams and Fraud A Runaway Bay resident received a text message that looked official - it claimed to be from a law firm collecting payment for the “City of Dallas Municipal Court.” The message even included a phone number and a link to click for payment. Thankfully, the resident trusted their instincts and reported it instead of responding. This was a scam, designed to trick people into sharing personal or financial information. How These Scams Work Fraudsters often pretend to be from real organizations like city courts, police departments, or even the IRS. They use text messages, emails, or phone calls that sound urgent. They'll claim you owe money, have an unpaid ticket, or must verify your identity. Their goal? To get you to click a link, call a fake number, or send money before you have time to think. Common red flags include: Messages that use threats or urgency (“Final Notice,” “Warrant Issued,” “Immediate Action Required”). Misspelled words, unusual email addresses, or generic greetings like “Dear Customer.” Links that don’t match official websites. (Hover over links to check before clicking!) What Legitimate Agencies Will Never Do Remember: No law enforcement agency - including sheriff’s offices, police departments, or municipal courts - will ever demand money or personal information over text, email, or social media. Real agencies do not accept payment through gift cards, Venmo, or CashApp. Courts and municipalities handle all official matters through mailed notices or secure online portals. What To Do If You Receive a Suspicious Message If something feels “off,” trust your instincts: Do not click any links or download attachments. Do not reply - even to ask if it’s real. Take a screenshot of the message for your records. Report it to local law enforcement or to the Texas Attorney General’s Office at www.texasattorneygeneral.gov . If it mentions a specific city or agency, call them directly using a verified number (not the one in the message). Stay Sharp, Runaway Bay! Your awareness is the best protection against scams. Talk with your neighbors, friends, and especially seniors who may be targeted more often. If you’re ever unsure about a message or call, reach out to Runaway Bay City Hall or the Runaway Bay Police Department before taking action. Together, we can keep our community safe and scam-free!

Before there was a lake - or even the town of Bridgeport - there was the bridge. In the mid-1800s, travelers heading west faced a major obstacle: crossing the West Fork of the Trinity River. Stagecoaches, wagons, and cattle drives all needed a reliable way to get across and that’s where the story of Bridgeport begins. A Mail Route and a Mission From 1858 to 1861, the famous Butterfield Overland Mail route stretched from St. Louis to San Francisco, carrying passengers, freight, and mail across the frontier. When the stage line reached what’s now Wise County, a safe river crossing became essential. Enter Colonel William Hudson Hunt, the same pioneer you may remember from last week’s story. On February 11, 1860, Hunt obtained a charter and built a wooden toll bridge about 50 yards west of the present-day marker site. Ranchers, travelers, and mail carriers all relied on the new crossing, paying small tolls - just two cents for a horse or cow - to pass over. Collapse, Rebuild, and a New Beginning When the Civil War broke out in 1861, the Butterfield route was shut down, and Hunt’s wooden bridge eventually collapsed. But a settlement had already begun to grow nearby, sparked by the convenience the bridge created. In 1873, local merchant Charles Cates of Decatur saw opportunity where others saw ruin. He constructed a new iron bridge at the same site, restoring a vital connection for commerce and travel. By 1893, the Rock Island Railroad extended its line through Wise County, stopping near the bridge site. The growing community migrated closer to the tracks, but proudly kept its name: Bridgeport. Visit the Landmark Today, the Texas Historical Marker commemorating the Toll Bridge and Old Bridgeport stands along FM 920, just outside the modern city. It’s a reminder that before there was industry, asphalt, or even Lake Bridgeport, there was a small wooden bridge that brought people and possibilities together. Want to explore more Bay History? Check out last week’s post about Col. W.H. Hunt, the man behind the bridge, and stay tuned for next week’s dive into the creation of Lake Bridgeport and how it forever changed our area. #ThrowbackThursday 🗺️ #BayHistory #WiseCountyHistory #BridgeportTX #RunawayBay

Benefitting the Runaway Bay Volunteer Fire Department It’s that time of year again, Runaway Bay! One of our community’s favorite fall tradition is back! The 9th Annual First Responders Fish Fry supporting the Runaway Bay Volunteer Fire Department. Saturday, November 15 5:30 PM Runaway Bay Event Center 513 Port O’ Call, Runaway Bay, TX 76426 This long-standing event brings neighbors, friends, and local heroes together for an evening of great food and even greater fellowship. Each delicious plate directly supports the brave men and women who serve and protect our city every day. Plates are just $15 for adults and $5 for kids. Every bite helps fund equipment, training, and community safety programs for our firefighters and first responders. So bring your family, your appetite, and your community spirit. Help make this year the best one yet! Together, we can keep the tradition strong and show our appreciation for those who answer the call when we need them most. #RunawayBayTX #CommunityFirst #SupportLocalHeroes #RunawayBayVFD #FishFry

Before GPS or Google Earth, there was Col. William Hudson Hunt. A man with a compass, a keen eye, and a mission to chart the wild Texas frontier. Born in 1800 in Tennessee, Hunt arrived in North Texas by the 1840s, when the region was still untamed prairie and dense oak country. Mapping the Future As a surveyor for the Peters Colony and the Republic of Texas, Hunt played a major role in establishing early boundaries and settlements across what would become Wise County. Using only a surveyor’s chain and hand-drawn maps, he helped lay out early roads, rivers, and property lines - quite literally putting Wise County “on the map.” Building Community on Faith and Grit Hunt was also a community builder. In 1854, he organized the first Methodist congregation in the area, which met under brush arbors and log shelters long before formal churches were built. He and his wife, Margaret Hunt, raised five children, and together they helped construct the first toll bridge across the West Fork of the Trinity River near what is now Bridgeport - a vital link for settlers moving west. By 1855, Hunt had acquired much of what is now western Wise County, establishing his homestead, which he lovingly named Cactus Hill. A sprawling ranch known for its sweeping views and, legend has it, a field of wild prickly pear that glowed pink in the spring. A Life Cut Short, A Legacy That Endured Tragically, in 1865, Col. Hunt’s life was cut short in a runaway-team accident while traveling near Bridgeport. Though his story might have ended there, his legacy didn’t. When Lake Bridgeport was created in the 1930s, much of Hunt’s original land - including the site of Cactus Hill - was submerged beneath the new reservoir. Recognizing the family’s historic importance, Hunt’s descendants and local leaders arranged for the Hunt Family Cemetery to be carefully relocated to Bridgeport’s Eastside Cemetery, where his memory still endures. History Beneath the Water So next time you stand on the shore of Lake Bridgeport, take a moment to look beyond the surface. Beneath those glistening waters lies more than just history. It’s the story of the man who helped draw the first lines of our county, built its first church, and planted the roots of a community that still thrives today.

September 16, 2025 At the September 16th Council meeting, the Runaway Bay City Council approved Ordinance No. 638, updating our participation in the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) - a statewide retirement program designed to provide long-term financial security for municipal employees. This may sound like a lot of government talk, but here’s what it really means for our team - and for you as a resident. What’s Changing Employee contribution: 7% of pay (the required percentage) City match at retirement: 2:1 - for every $1 an employee contributes, the City contributes $2 toward the employee’s total retirement balance (Effective January 1, 2026) TMRS surplus: No extra cost to taxpayers In short: our employees get a stronger retirement benefit - without costing residents a dime. That’s a win-win. What Does This Look Like in Real Life? Meet Jane Doe, our imaginary city employee. Jane works full-time (40 hours per week) at minimum wage for 10 years. Under the new plan (not including annual TMRS investment growth), her retirement savings would look something like this: Jane contributes: $10,560 City adds (2:1 match): $21,120 Total at retirement: $31,680 (plus interest) That’s a solid foundation for a brighter, more secure retirement - and it highlights the City’s commitment to supporting our hardworking staff who keep Runaway Bay running every single day. Why It Matters Investing in our employees’ future helps Runaway Bay stay competitive in hiring and retaining great people. It’s part of building a strong, stable team - one that’s proud to serve the residents who make this community home. And best of all? It’s fiscally responsible. This improvement is covered by existing TMRS funds, meaning no new cost to taxpayers. In Closing We’re proud to continue strengthening the City’s operations and benefits in ways that make sense for both our staff and our citizens. If you have questions about this update or any other City project, use our online contact form to let us know what topics you’d like us to cover in future updates. We’re always here to keep you informed - and maybe even make city business a little more fun to read about. #CityUpdates #RunawayBay #SmallTownBigHeart #RetirementGoals

Think of this space as the front porch of Runaway Bay - the spot where neighbors gather and everyone stays in the loop. You don’t have to bring a casserole (though we won’t stop you) - just bring your curiosity and a little hometown spirit! Here on the Runaway Bay Bulletin, we’ll be chatting about all things Runaway Bay: ✅ Community News & Events: from big celebrations to small-town moments, if it’s happening here, we’ll share it here. ✅ City Council Recaps: can’t make the meeting? No worries! We’ll keep you posted with highlights and quick summaries so you can stay in the know. ✅ Project Announcements: ever wonder what’s getting repaired around town? We’ll cover street improvements, park updates, and other local upgrades so you always know what’s happening behind the orange cones. So, grab a sweet tea, pull up a chair, and stay awhile, because this is your porch, too. 💙 We’d love to hear from you! Use the Contact Form on the Home page to tell us what topics you’d like us to cover or email athompson@runawaybaytexas.com with questions you’d like answered in upcoming posts. Your ideas and feedback help keep our porch conversations useful and true to the spirit of Runaway Bay. Welcome to Our Front Porch - we’re glad you’re here!